Arkansas is nicknamed "The Natural State" for good reason. There are over 600,000 acres of lakes; 9,700 miles of streams and rivers; 50 state parks; six national parks, and over 2.5 million acres of national forests. Arkansas is home to the only active diamond mine in the United States. In 1924, a 40-carat white diamond, nicknamed Uncle Sam, was unearthed near Murfreesboro. You can hunt for diamonds today yourself in Crater of Diamonds State Park. Not surprisingly, the state gem is the diamond.

Arkansas became the 25th state in 1836 and current population is about 2.7 million people. Be aware that locals say it is illegal to mispronounce Arkansas while in the state; it must be pronounced "Arkansaw." However, residents are called Arkansans. Arkansas comes from the Quapaw Indian language and it means "south wind." In size, Arkansas ranks 26th among the fifty states with an area of approximately 53,000 square miles. The climate is without extreme heat or cold, with average annual temperatures ranging from 58 ­ 65° F.

Now that you are moving to Arkansas, entertain your friends and family with these interesting items of trivia:

State capital is Little Rock, which is also the state’s largest city.

General Douglas MacArthur was born in Little Rock in 1880.

Sam Walton founded his Wal-Mart store in Bentonville in 1962 and company headquarters are located there.

State motto: "Regnat Populus" ­ The People Rule.

Former president Bill Clinton was born in Hope, Arkansas.

The official state beverage is milk.

It is legal to shoot bears in Arkansas, but waking a sleeping bear for the purpose of taking a photograph is prohibited.

State Bird is the Mockingbird.

Arkansas produces more than 90% of the USA’s aluminum.

State Flower is the Apple Blossom.

Current popular author, John Grisham, was born in Jonesboro. Several of his books have been made into movies. Scenes from The Client, The Firm, and A Painted House have been filmed in Arkansas.

State insect is the Honeybee.

In eccentric Eureka Springs, you can attend a UFO conference, tour haunted houses and cemeteries, or get married in a glass chapel in the woods.

State Folk Dance is the Square Dance.

In Dover, there is an operational double-decker outhouse at the Booger Hollow Trading Post.

State Tree is the Pine Tree.

The World Championship Duck Calling Contest is held each year in Stuttgart.

Forty-seven hot springs flow from Hot Springs Mountain at an average temperature of 143° F.

Hot Springs National Park is the nation’s oldest federal preserve, predating Yellowstone by some forty years.